Abduction
by Saphira Bjartskular
Summary: Alex thought he was done with MI6 when Jack died, but when Sabina is abducted, he has no choice but to appeal to them for help once more.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - Anything you recognize, I do not own. This is my first story, so please read and review!**

"Hey, wanna go over to the Crawford's with me? It'll be fun!" Sabina said enticingly.

"Sure. Let me freshen up first, though." Alex walked to the house. In his room, he put a fresh shirt on and a new pair of jeans. On his way out, he noticed a picture of Jack on his nightstand.

He picked it up, a surge of emotions went through him, as it always did when anything reminded him of her. He set the picture down before he could remember anything else, like how she was blown up before his very eyes. All because of him.

"Alex!" Sabina's voice shook him out of his reverie.

"Coming!" Alex pushed the memories into the back of his mind. He took the steps two at a time. Sabina smiled when she saw him.

"Why, you sure freshened up, didn't you?" She asked playfully.

"Hey, we are only going over to the Crawford's. It's not like we are going out to eat or anything." Alex protested.

Sabina laughed. "Come on, then. They are probably waiting for us." She winked,taking off, "Race you there!"

Alex called, chasing after her, "Not fair! You have a head start!" As Sabina disappeared from view, Alex thought quickly. The Crawford's house was two blocks ahead, and one to the right. He calculated that if he cut across here, he'd beat Sabina by thirty seconds. He cut across someone's backyard, over a fence, across the road, through two more backyards, then into the Crawford's backyard.

He eyed the door, deciding not to use it. He would let Sabina think she beat him, then surprise her by waiting in her room. He got a running start, then leaped onto the fence. From there, he used the wall to leap onto her windowsill. He pulled himself up to sit on it, then carefully opened the window. Thankfully, it didn't have a screen. He inched backwards into the room with a sigh of relief.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Alex started in surprise, "Sabina? How did you get here?"

"Ha. You think you're the only one who knows a shortcut?" Sabina challenged.

"Oh." Alex laughed, "I should've known."

"Yeah, come on. The Crawford's cooked us dinner."

~o~o~o~

"Honey, I'm home!" Mrs. Pleasure called up the stairs.

"Mom!" Sabina raced down the stairs. When she reached Mrs. Pleasure, she gave her a hug. "You're back! How was the trip"

"Great, Honey. Where's Alex?" Her mom said peering around the house.

"Here, Mrs. Pleasure." Alex called, he had been watching from the top of the steps. He was still uneasy with the concept of Mrs. Pleasure being his "mother", even after a year of living with her. She had given up on trying to get him to call her Mom.

"Alex, dear, come on down here and give me a hug." Mrs. Pleasure said, "You know it makes this old woman happy."

Alex walked down the stairs slowly."Did you have a good time at the beach, Mrs. Pleasure?"

"Yes, dear, did anything happen while I was gone? Your father didn't let you all have a party, did he?" Mrs. Pleasure said with a laugh.

"No, the Crawford's cooked us dinner each night, so we had our vegetables." Alex replied. Reaching the bottom of the steps, he was pulled into a warm hug by Mrs. Pleasure. He awkwardly gave her a hug back, appealing to Sabina for help.

She rolled her eyes, "Mom, you're making Alex uncomfortable. He's a guy, not into touchy-feely things." Mrs. Pleasure quickly stepped back, apologized, and gave him a pat on the head. "Mom!" Sabina scolded. Mrs. Pleasure quickly disappeared into the kitchen, already busy making the house glow with a homely feeling. "Sorry, Alex. You okay?" Alex had gone white, gazing at the kitchen. He was remembering a certain other mother figure doing the same thing. Giving him a hug, a pat on the head, then humming to herself while working in the kitchen.

"I..I'm going to go for a bike ride." Alex said, fighting tears.

"Do you want me to come?" Sabina asked, worried.

"No, I... want some alone time, if that's alright with you?"Alex practically ran out the door, desperate to get away from the memories. He quickly pedaled away, hearing Sabina calling for him. He ignored her, pedaling faster. He let the wind and his exertions blow his memories away, until he felt as if he could face the kitchen without the hole of Jack's death opening again. He shivered. He had not realized how late it had gotten; the sun had sunk to the horizon.

~o~o~o~

"Sabina? Mrs. Pleasure?" Alex called into the dark house, "I'm back. I'm sorry I ran out like that. It won't happen again." He walked through the house, flipping the lights on.

He found Mrs. Pleasure on the couch, snoring gently. He pulled the blanket up to cover her shoulders, then slipped quietly up to his room. Crawling into bed, he decided to make breakfast in the morning to atone for running away. He slipped into a dark, dreamless sleep.

~o~o~o~

"Alex, have you seen Sabina?"

Alex grunted, then opened his eyes. The clock read 8:00. So much for waking up early to make breakfast. "What?" he called sleepily.

"Have you seen Sabina? She's not in her room." Mrs. Pleasure called, peeking her head into his room. Worry creased her face.

"She's probably just going for a walk or something." Alex reassured, "I'll go look for her, if you'd like."

"Yes, please. When you find her, tell her to get her butt home for dinner."

Alex quickly dressed and brushed his teeth. He ran down the stairs, feeling refreshed, the events of the day before, already forgotten. He cruised on his bike around Sabina's usual haunts. When he had searched all the places she hung out in regularly, he began to worry. Where could she be? Maybe she went home while he was searching? He pedaled as fast as he could home.

"Sabina? I'm sorry, Mrs. Pleasure; I couldn't find her. Is she here?" Alex called. He heard sobbing. "Mrs. Pleasure?" He ran into her room. She was on the phone.

"Yes, there is a note. It is addressed to me. Yes. It says to leave the money in London, at the foot of Big Ben." Mrs. Pleasure sobbed into the phone.

"Mrs. Pleasure? What happened?"Alex said with a growing feeling of trepidation.

Mrs. Pleasure looked at him, her eyes red from crying, "Oh, Alex. Sabina has been kidnapped." She bursts into a new round of tears. "What, oh. No, she has no enemies. You would know as well as I would!"

Alex zoned out, still in shock. "Where is the note?" He asked, his voice surprisingly calm.

"I..in her room. On her bed."

Alex slowly walked to her room, still in denial. The note read:

_Dear Mrs. Pleasure,_

_Your daughter has been chosen to participate in a very rewarding program, called A.I.T. If you have not heard of this, it is okay. Here, we teach our pupils to survive in the world of __politicians. Many pupils are just not cut out for this work; therefore, we have to dispose of them. However, some pupils do survive this training program, and they are forever changed. Your daughter is sure to be a survivor, however, you can pull her out of the program. You only have to send 600,000, and another pupil for the exchange. Come to the Big Ben when the clock strikes 12 noon. Do not make a scene or contact the cops, or your daughter will be __harmed._

_From, A.I.T_

Alex finished the letter, a slow, burning, familiar rage filling him. A.I.T would pay for the pain they have caused this family. He knew, because he would make them. Maybe, it was time to visit an old friend for some help. He smiled, a wolf's smile. He would save Sabina. He would get his revenge.


	2. A Visit with Smithers

Alex sat two rows in front of Mr. and Mrs. Pleasure. They sniffled every now and then, earning a few odd looks from passerby, but mostly kept quiet. He wasn't sure what the Pleasure's plans were, but he knew he wasn't going to go along with them. As soon as they reached London, he was going to ditch them to visit Royal and General Bank, an old friend, you could say. Eventually, his head drooped and he fell asleep from plain exhaustion. He had not slept since they found out Sabina was kidnapped, two days before. His last thought, as his eyes closed was that he was sorry he had run away, causing this whole mess.

~o~o~o~

"Where are we going to get the money? And who are we going to exchange?" Mrs. Pleasure asked, careful not to wake Alex, who was snoring in the back of the car.

"I don't know." Mr. Pleasure sighed, "We can't just let them have her."

"But we can't send another kid to the same fate. That would just be wrong."Mrs. Pleasure argued without passion. She was tired. Three days of fitful nights, and jet lag were not helping her migraine.

"What about Alex? We know he can handle himself." Mr. Pleasure suggested carefully, staring at the road.

Mrs. Pleasure stared at him, aghast. "How could you even think that? He lost his parents, his guardian, and now you want to just trade him away to a terrible fate?"

"No, no. You are quite right. I don't know why I even thought of that, the poor boy." Mr. Pleasure placated, "It's just... She's our daughter."

"He's now our son, too, Edward." Mrs. Pleasure said. Mr. Pleasure nodded his agreement, ending the matter.

~o~o~o~

"Alex, we are here." Alex awoke to Mrs. Pleasure gently shaking his shoulder. Alex rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. They still felt sandy, even after seven hours of solid sleep.

They were back at the Pleasure's house for when they stayed in London. Alex felt nostalgia rising, but pushed it back down. He had to focus on the living, not the dead. "Can I go take a look at downtown. I want to... Visit something." Alex asked.

The Pleasure's exchanged a knowing look. "Sure. Be back by suppertime." Mrs. Pleasure said, acting if all was fine in the world. She looked at Alex, thinking that he deserved to visit the old house he had lived in, and Jack's grave.

Alex understood the gaze, and the meaning behind it. Good, he thought, let them think I am visiting Jack. It'll keep them from worrying. "Thanks." He said aloud. He jogged determinedly out the door. He had already written them a note saying he was getting Sabina back. He hoped they wouldn't worry.

He gazed at the Royal and General Bank down Liverpool Street. This ordinary looking business brought back lots of memories, many of them bad, yet there were many good memories, also. He shook his head. There would be time for reminiscing, later. Sabina first. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door. He walked to the small secretary at the front desk. "I'm here to see Blunt."

The secretary looked up in surprise. Her face cleared, however, when she saw who was asking. "Right this way."

Alex shook his head. Once again, MI6 was one step ahead of him. They probably have the whole conversation mapped out, already, he thought.

~o~o~o~

Mr. Blunt leaned forward, his head on his hands. "Alex."

"Mr. Blunt."

"Why have you come to visit us?" He asked as if he didn't already know. Alex said so, but Mr. Blunt merely inclined his head. "Yes, but what do you need from us?"

Alex looked at him coldly, "I need to talk to Smithers, and I need resources."

"Yes, yes. Be my guest. I'll have Smithers notified at once."

Alex was surprised, "You don't want anything in return?"

"I'll get my due, don't worry, Alex. I'll get my due." Mr. Blunt smiled cryptically. Alex didn't like the sound of that, but left the room without questioning.

~o~o~o~

"Alex, my dear boy, it has been a long time since I've seen you last!" Smithers exclaimed. Smithers was the same big man, enthusiastically shaking Alex's hand. "Although, sad circumstances dampen this visit, you will be amazed at what I have made. I've had some impressive breakthroughs! Come, come. I will show you."

Alex smiled, he had missed Smithers.

"You are going on a rescue mission are you not?" Smithers asked, walking quickly through the halls.

"Yes, to rescue Sabina." Alex replied slowly.

"All right, then. Here." He turned into a room. Suddenly, his face changed. He looked serious, "Alex, my boy, be careful. Keep your gaze broad, don't fixate on one thing. See the big picture. Don't think you know anything. Got it, Alex,? Anything. Listen to me. Do you understand?"

Perplexed, Alex nodded.

Just as quickly as Smithers' face turned serious, his face reverted back to the joyful expression that it usually wore. He pulled Alex back out of the room, and whisked him back to the office. "Now, then. Let's check out all the wonderful gadgets that I have made just for you, dear boy." He said, without any trace of the seriousness of before.

Alex was too shocked in the sudden change of nature to answer. He simply nodded slowly. Smithers handed him some goggles. "What are these for?" Alex asked. They looked like diving goggles.

"I don't know where your rescue mission is going to take place, therefore, I will supply you with gadgets that can be used virtually anywhere. These goggles are equipped with night vision, a small sonar radar, and a retinal display. All commands are issued through the mouthpiece that goes with it." Smithers says, quickly. He produces a black bag. "This is what you will carry everything in. It is waterproof and virtually fireproof."

"Virtually?" Alex inquires.

"Yes, it can only withstand a great amount of heat for small period of time. Usually around twenty to thirty minutes." Smithers explains, grabbing a bag of six multicolored marbles, and a calculator. "This bag is made of an almost indestructible material. The marbles are magnetic bombs. Attach them to anything metal, and and press the corresponding color on the calculator to detonate it."

He grabs a pen. "This pen carries three tranquilizer darts, plus regular ink. Twist the cap like this, and the tranquilizer will load. Then press the back of it to shoot the tranquilizer. Twist the lid back this way to return it to a regular pen." Alex nods, carefully placing the pen into the bag.

Alex placed everything in the bag. He looked at Smithers, waiting. He could tell Smithers wasn't quite done, yet. "And my last, but not least, invention is this suit." He pulls out from behind his desk a dark blue suit. A diving suit. Alex was starting to feel that something was suspicious, but Smithers was still talking, so he pushed the feeling to the back of his mind. "It does everything a regular diving suit would, and more. It is tight-fitting enough that you can wear it under regular clothes, and no one will know. Also, it is bullet proof, and comes with fins and a snorkel." Smithers walks him down the hall. He stops Alex as he is leaving, "Remember what I said, Alex." It was the only insurance Alex had that he hadn't dreamed the whole encounter. Again, Alex nodded. "Good. I wish the best for you, Alex. Good-bye."

Alex reciprocated the gesture, somehow feeling as if this was a final good-bye. As he walked back down Liverpool street, he thought about how strange Smithers was acting. Then he realized. Everything Smithers gave him would help him underwater. Did Smithers know something about where Sabina was being held? He raced back inside the bank. However, when he reached Smithers' office, there was nothing there. Smithers had vanished. "Smithers?" He ran back to the receptionist lady. "What have you done with Smithers?" She didn't answer, didn't even acknowledge him.

After several minutes of bugging the receptionist, he gave up. He left the bank. As he walked down the street, once more a realization hit him. He may have just lost the only lead on Sabina's location and her captors. He may never find her, now.


	3. Homecoming

Alex strolled morosely down the street wondering where to spend the night. He wandered aimlessly for a while, noticing nothing. When he finally did look up, he realized that he was on his old street. Staggering with the weight of memories, he walked to his old house. It had the same driveway, same front porch, but a different door, different people living in it. It was familiar enough to hurt, and different enough to hurt. As if in a trance, he moved up to the door. Slowly, he lifted his hand up to knock. Pausing for a moment, he gathered himself. He knocked three times, strongly.

A woman answered, "Hello. What do you need?"

Alex blinked several times, clearing his throat. The woman had an American accent, just like Jack. A tear slid down his face.

"Oh, honey, what is the matter. Here, come in." The woman pulled him across the threshold, ushering him into the living room. His living room. But it wasn't. She had completely remodeled it. Nothing was familiar. She sat him on the unfamiliar couch, rushing into the kitchen. "What would you like, dear? Juice?"

Finding his voice, Alex said thickly, "Yes, please, ma'am."

She came back with a glass. Handing it to Alex she asked, "Who are you, honey?"

"I... I'm Alex Rider. I used to live here." He said, slowly sipping the juice. It was surprisingly good.

"Oh, dear, why are you here?" She asked concernedly.

Slowly, Alex answered, "I need a place to stay the night. This is the only place I know."

"Honey, you can stay here as long as you like. Do you need me to call anybody?" She said graciously.

"No, thank you, ma'am. There is no one left for you to call." Alex answered sadly. After he had overcome the flood of memories, he apologized, "I'm sorry for intruding, ma'am. I won't bother you any further.'

"No, dear, it is quite all right. I thought you needed a place to stay. Do you still need one?" She asked.

Alex answered quietly, "Well, yes, but..."

"No buts." She interrupted, "You need a place to stay? Well there is one here, and I'd be a cruel person to turn you back out in the streets. You can stay here, in my son's old room."

"Thank you, Mrs.." Alex broke off, waiting.

"Macron. Mrs. Macron"

Alex smiled gratefully, "Thank you Mrs. Macron." She then proceeded to thoroughly mother him. She set up the bedroom for him herself. Ignoring his protests, she even set up a bed table and lamp. After she made him dinner, Alex borrowed some toiletries, and quickly brushed his teeth. Setting his bag down, he was thankful that Mrs. Macron hadn't pried into the reason he was here. Hearing a voice, he walked back into the sitting room, where he found the woman talking into the phone. Soon after Alex entered, she set the phone down. "Who was that?" Alex inquired, curious.

"That was my husband, John. He's on leave now, so he is spending time with the kids, Marie and Holland." She answered quickly, "They are on their way home, now."

Alex waited quietly on the couch with Mrs. Macron, content to have a home, if only for one night. After only about twenty minutes, two little kids came running through the door. "Mommy! Look what we got!" The girls raced over, each fighting to get to their mother the fastest. They proudly held out their prizes, demanding her to acknowledge them.

Mrs. Macron smiled warmly, "That's great dears. Where is your father?"

"Right here!" A deep, familiar voice answered. Mrs. Macron rushed to give him a kiss. "I got these for you." He handed her a bunch of roses. She smiled with gratitude as the two kids hurried to participate in the hug. Alex smiled. They were a beautiful family, untouched by pain or sadness, but as he looked closer, he saw that the man's eyes were hardened. They were the eyes of someone who had seen death and felt the pain of loss. This family wasn't quite untouched, Alex corrected himself. "Who is this?" The man asked, eyeing Alex.

"I'm Alex Rider. I used to live here." He answered, repeating what he had said before to Mrs. Macron.

"I understand you need a place to stay?"

"Just for one night, sir, then I'll be on my way."

The man nodded slowly. "There is something familiar about you, kid. Have we met?"

Alex, wondering if this man could possibly be one of his enemies, cautiously answered, "I don't think so, sir."

The man thoughtfully scratched the stubble on his chin, "All right. You can stay, but only for one night." He decided.

~o~o~o~

In the backyard, some sixth sense made Alex duck. A fist whirred by, missing him by inches. Acting on pure instinct, Alex kicked straight backwards. He was rewarded by his attacker's grunt of pain. Using his advantage, Alex whirled around to face his opponent. Then man was quite a bit taller than Alex, larger, and very muscular, but these facts weren't as remarkable because he was doubled over in pain. Alex brought his knee up into his attacker's face, then quickly followed through with another kick into the man's gut. The man backed up, his hands held high to signify that he surrendered. Alex said quietly, "Don't move."

The man nodded slowly, "Can I take off my mask?"

Alex nodded, but he already knew who his assailant was. He had just met the man. "Mr. Macron. Why did you attack me?"

Evading the question, John Macron asked, "Who are you, really? Why are you here?"

"I am Alex Rider. I need a place to stay the night." Alex answered briefly.

The man glared at him, asking desperately, "Why are you here? Have you come to hurt my wife and kids on account of my work?"

Alex stared at him. Softly, he said, "I am no threat to you, or your family, Wolf."

Wolf's eyes widened in shock, "Cub?"

Alex smiled coldly, "That's me."

"What happened to you?" He asked, noticing how hardened Cub's eyes were.

"Do you know why I don't live here anymore?" Alex asked. Wolf shook his head, no. "I used to live here with my guardian Jack. She was murdered. Because of me."

Wolf was horrified, "How could someone be murdered because of you? You are what? Fifteen?"

"I was a spy, recruited by MI6 at age 14. A year was all I needed to make enough enemies for someone close to me to get killed." Alex explained bitterly.

Credulous, Wolf said, "Prove it."

"Was that not enough?" Alex asked, meaning the fight.

"Anyone can learn how to fight. Prove to me that you are a spy."Wolf challenged.

Alex grinned cockily, "That'll be easy. Come with me to my bedroom. I've already visited Smithers." Alex quickly showed Wolf all the gadgets Smithers had given him. It enough to convince him.

~o~o~o~

Alex left early in the morning, ready to start searching for Sabina. Mrs. Macron had insisted on giving him breakfast and some money. The kids had each given him a drawing of him that looked like a stack of potatoes with clothes. Even so, he had thanked them both for their "wonderful drawings". Wolf had pulled him aside, saying that if he ever needed some help, to call on him. Alex had earned Wolf's respect. Anyway, Mrs. Macron absolutely adored Alex, so how could he not like him? Mrs. Macron even went so far as to say, "If you ever need a home, dear, come back. We'll welcome you with open arms."

Alex walked away with a happier heart than he had had in a long time. That family made him feel like he belonged. He would come back, someday; if all went well on this last mission. He would come back. It would be like a homecoming.


	4. Lost and Found

Quickly, Alex pulled his cap low over his face. He strolled down the street at a set pace, trying to seem unhurried. His target was a tall man with sunglasses about twenty feet in front of him. Four days ago, MI6 had debriefed him on A.I.T. What they knew was surprisingly little. However, he did learn that A.I.T had been responsible for many terrorist attacks over the last decade. They had hit France, the U.k., Germany, and Poland. Alex had been given a password to the police's network, which he used to find this man Reed Fletcher. He had been in jail for just over two months for assault, theft, and drug dealing. Apparently, his time had been shortened because he gave out the names of several other people in the drug dealing business who were supposedly involved with the A.I.T. None of the people he named were currently in jail; they had escaped a couple months ago during an "accidental" power outage. MI6 had sent him on a mission to capture Reed Fletcher, hoping he knew where Sabina was being held, or, at least, someone who did.

Fletcher crossed two more blocks before turning into an alley way. Rather than turn with him, Alex went into the coffee shop just to the right of the alley. He was hoping to catch him coming out. When he looked out the back door, however, Fletcher was nowhere to be seen. Thinking he had lost him, Alex hurried out the front door, looking left and right for any sign of the man. When the effort appeared futile, he went down the alley itself, searching for a doorway or another street. He found none. Slumping in defeat, he walked back to the coffee shop. Just as he was about to turn onto the street, he felt the presence of someone behind him. Too late, the fist was already on its way down. It crashed into Alex's head, immediately knocking him unconscious.

~o~o~o~

Mrs. Pleasure sobbed. Alex hadn't come home for supper. In the morning when Alex still wasn't back, Mr. Pleasure got the car out to go look for him. He came back with bad news: Alex had visited his old house to spend the night, but had left early. Mr. Pleasure had just missed him. She broke when they found his letter. It told her not to worry; he was going to bring Sabina back. This was too much for Mrs. Pleasure. After several days of sleepless nights, she bought many bottles of sleeping pills. She took more than was good for her, and she was looking awful. She had bags under her eyes, even though she slept nine hours each night, and her skin had a yellowish pallor to it. She moped around all day, doing nothing.

Mr. Pleasure was worried for her. She needed a doctor, but when he tried to suggest that to her, she yelled at him, saying that no doctor could cure her disease. Mr. Pleasure had taken to going out after eating supper, and drinking to ease the stress and pain. Walking home earlier than usual, he had seen some kid getting mugged by a man. As he was heavily intoxicated, he thought nothing of it. The only reason it was remarkable was the fact that the man, instead of running off with the kid's money, dragged the kid away with him. When he got to his house, Mrs. Pleasure yelled at him, as usual, when he suggested going to the doctor, and he went to sleep. In the morning, last night's memories were washed away by the pain of a hangover. He got up, made breakfast, as Mrs. Pleasure was no longer doing it, and dropped a few coins into the jar labeled, Sabina. He wished for things to be the way they used to, but, he thought, things would never be the same. They would either pull through this as a family and come out changed, or break under the tension and pain. He knew that they were leaning toward the latter, but he every night, he still went out to drink, and Mrs. Pleasure still yelled at him. They were breaking, he knew in one of his sober moments. They were breaking.

~o~o~o~

"Wakey, wakey."

Alex blinked open his eyes, groaning. "Ugh. When did you last brush your teeth?" He asked wrinkling his nose against the smell. His hands were tied behind his back, and his pack was gone.

"You are not in a position to taunt me, pretty boy." The man he had been trailing said, glaring at Alex. He was about six feet, five inches of reeking smell, and hair, with dirty clothes to match. He smiled at Alex, showing his crooked, yellow teeth, and slapping his pistol against his palm.

Alex laughed, "You're not so pretty yourself, old man."

Fletcher punched Alex, making his headache throb. "See, little boy, the way this works is: the person with the gun asks the question, and the person tied up answers them. Now, who are you."

"Your worst nightmare." Alex answered cockily, rewarded with another punch.

The man placed the gun against Alex's temple, "Answer, boy, or you'll regret it. Now, let's try this again. Who are you? Why were you sent?"

Slowly, Alex replied, "I'm Daniel Crocker. I was sent here to find you for some" Alex paused, thinking of a plausible explanation, "drugs."

"Crocker's boy, huh? He hasn't sent you before." The man said thoughtfully. "What kind does he want?"

Alex couldn't believe it. This guy actually knew someone named Crocker! "Heroin." He stated quickly.

"Is that so, Mr. Crocker? I seem to recall that when Crocker first started business with me, he clearly stated that he was not going to do Diamorphine." The man said, his voice laden with a threat.

Alex decided to bluff it out, "Father didn't tell me what the Heroin is for. For all I know, it could be for someone else!"

The man made a skeptical noise, then nodded once, as if agreeing with someone. "You sound a lot like the other guy I caught tailing me. I wonder could you be working together?"

Alex was surprised, "No. Father does not usually let me work with any of his friends. Could you.. could you untie me, please?" It was getting to be rather uncomfortable with all the rope around him.

Eventually, Fletcher complied with a grunt.

Alex sighed with relief, "Now, tell me about the other man."

The man glared at him, then answered gruffly, but slowly warming as he went on, "He was a fat man. Was way too talkative, and stubborn. I'm kinda glad he escaped. Although, he did blow a hole through my wall. Never did figure out how he got explosives in here without me knowing. Anyway, I was tailing him, and I saw him get picked up by some MI6 worker. I assume he was running from them, 'cause he put up a big fight. They nabbed him in the end, though. Knocked him out cold. They took him away in their car. I stopped trailing him then, 'cause he was caught so I couldn't do anything to him. Then I went back here, 'cause I had to sell some crack to Hornton..." He stopped abruptly, realizing he had said to much. "Don't say that last bit to your dad. Okay?"

Alex nodded slowly, thinking about the man in Fletcher's story. He sounded a lot like Smithers. But why would Smithers be here? MI6 had told Alex Smithers had been sent to investigate an A.I.T. base in France! So how could Smithers be here? Unless MI6 was lying to him, which they were notorious for doing so. "You owe me one. Now, about that Heroin?"

"Yes. Yes, of course." The man handed Alex a small bag. "That is one gram, do you need more?" Alex shook his head as the man continued, "How will you be paying me? It will be forty pounds." Alex winced; he had overlooked the payment. When Alex didn't say anything, Fletcher said quickly, "Of course, your dad wanted his money to be safe, so he sent it separately, didn't he?"

Alex nodded, "Actually, now that you mention it. That money was sent with the man who was caught before. Can you help me find him?" Alex needed to find Smithers. He had the only lead on Sabina, and he might be able to tell him something MI6 doesn't want him to know.

Fletcher's eyes widened, "What? Yes! I have to find him, or I won't get my money!"

"Where can I meet you?" Alex asked.

"How about the coffee shop I knocked you out by?" The man replied, grinning.

Alex glared at him, "You wanna have a rematch?"

The man laughed, "No, I think you've been beaten enough already."

Alex glared at him for a moment, then quietly said, "Whatever." This will be an interesting partnership, he thought.

~o~o~o~

Fletcher was waiting for Alex at the coffee shop. It had been four days since Alex and him and partnered with each other. They had found out many things, but this was the best. Fletcher called out excitedly, "I know where he is!"

Hurrying, Alex shushed him; too many unknown ears around here. "Could you shout a little louder?" Alex said, exasperatedly.

"Sorry." Fletcher lowered his voice, making a show of glancing from left to right, "I found him! He's being held in Regent's Park! A buddy of mine said that there is a secret fortress in the lake there. That has to be where he is!"

Alex was excited. He was going to get Smithers! "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Umm. I don't actually own a car." Fletcher said, slowly.

Alex looked at him, "Seriously? You do know that you can take a cab pretty much anywhere, don't you?"

Fletcher looked down, "Yeah, yeah. I knew that." trying to save a little of his dignity.

Alex shook his head, hailing a cab.

~o~o~o~

Alex and Fletcher had scoped out the lake, using the Boathouse Cafe as an excuse to be near it. They had unobtrusively asked questions about how large the lake was, are you allowed to swim in it, etc. The lake was called Boating Lake, it had many ducks, and a section, about 90 acres, was fenced off to protect the many kinds of birds found there. It was a perfect place to start their search.

Alex and Fletcher had examined the fenced off section with the ruse of being birdwatchers. They had decided to come back at night to try to force their way into the area.

Alex quietly placed the smallest marble on the fence, hoping it would make the least amount of noise. Running quietly back to Fletcher, he pressed the red button on the calculator to detonate it. Alex heard a loud pop behind him, followed by many ducks quacking. Alex cursed under his breath. "Come on!" He called to Fletcher. They jumped through the small hole the bomb had made, sprinting away from the crime scene. Alex knew security would be here any minute, so as he ran, he looked for a hiding place. He quickly found one. In a massive tree, there was a hole, large enough for the both of them to fit inside. "Reed," He hissed, "come here!"

Fletcher understood, quietly climbing into the trunk. As soon as Fletcher was safely tucked into it, Alex climbed in also. It was a tight fit. "That was a stupid idea." Fletcher said, his voice muffled by the trunk. Alex agreed. "Why didn't we climb over the fence?"

"That would have been much easier." Alex said, mentally berating himself. How could he have overlooked simply climbing the fence?

~o~o~o~

Fletcher and Alex had gotten out of the trunk after nightfall. Luckily, Alex had the foresight to bring some food. After finishing a very lacking meal of bread. cheese, and crackers, Alex and F;etcher had gone to the lake. Fletcher wanted to free dive, without anything, but Alex argued that he should go. After all, there was supposedly an MI6 fortress down there. In the end, they compromised. Alex would dive first, with the gear Smithers had given him, and Fletcher would wait on the shore for thirty minutes. If Alex hasn't come up by then, Fletcher would free dive to find him.

Alex quickly dove in, wanting to get this over with. Using his night vision, the looming fortress quickly became visible. It looked like a sunken apartment. Alex found an entrance with twenty-two minutes left on the clock. Slowly, he opened the hatch. Water poured in a small six- by-four room, bringing Alex with it. As soon as Alex closed the door, water began spilling out of the room. Soon, Alex could breath without the mouthpiece.

Alex pushed open a door on the opposite side of the one he had come into, halting when a blast of cool air and bright light hit him. When his eyes adjusted, Alex saw a pristine white hallway, with many doors on each side. Cautiously, Alex opened each of the doors. They looked like hospital rooms, but oddly, there were no nurses, In fact, there were no people of any kind.

As Alex neared the end of the hallway, he came across a locked door. He tried in vain to open the door. With and idea, Alex opened the door to the left of the locked one. He looked around for a vent. Unfortunately, there was only a small one, not big enough for a foot to fit through, let alone a whole person. Suddenly, Alex remembered the marbles. He quickly grabbed one out of his back, pacing it on the wall. Stepping into the adjoining room, he pressed the blue button on the calculator. With a loud boom, the bomb blew a large hole in the wall. Quickly, Alex stepped into the room.

Alex gasped as he saw an injured man on the floor, covered in debris and blood. The man had many cuts and bruises all along his back. With a bad feeling, he rolled the man over. He gasped, "Smithers!"


	5. An Unhelpful Helpful Hint

**A/N Sorry for the long wait. I have been vacationing. I finally finished the chapter and posted it. So.. Here.**

The woman decided to pay some friends a visit. She vaguely remembered them from a life before this one. She couldn't quite remember their names. Precious? Perton? Something that started with a P. This was stressing her out. She needed to remember their names for some important reason. Now, if she could only remember what that reason was. They had a daughter, she suddenly remembered. Frantically, she searched a phone book, thinking that if she saw the name, she would remember it.

There it was. Pleasure! She needed to see them! Now! They had something of hers. It was important. What was it? It was something from her old life. Why could she not remember it? Frustrated, she called their number.

"Hello?" A sad voice answered. "Who is this?"

"I'm Jaquelyn Smith. I think you have something of mine." The woman answered bluntly

Mrs. Pleasure sighed, "How could I have something of yours. I don't even have anything of my own. They were both stolen from me."

Suddenly, she remembered, "You have my boy! He was a boy!"

"You mean Alex?" Mrs. Pleasure asked, in a moment of curiosity.

"Yes, yes! That's it! My boy's name is Alex! Alex Rider!" Jaquelyn said excitedly.

Mrs. Pleasure sighed, sinking back down into her depressed stupor, "He is not with me anymore. He left to search for someone missing. I'm assuming he was stolen, too."

Jaquelyn was confused. How could they have lost her boy? They seemed to have lost something else as well, maybe the girl? Abruptly, she hang up, deciding to find her boy. He was hers. Alex Rider was hers.

~o~o~o~

Alex had somehow gotten an unconscious Smithers out of underwater dungeon/hospital without trouble. Alex felt that it was all too easy, but had no choice but to do what was expected. He brought Smithers to a hospital nearby with the help of Fletcher. Alex was in the waiting room, reading a magazine, when the nurse came bursting through the door. "Alex? Alex Rider?"

"Here." He said, his stomach sinking. Smithers is surely dead, he thought.

"Come. Joseph says he needs to talk to you. It is a matter of life or death, he said." The nurse said, beckoning.

With a sigh of relief, Alex followed the nurse down the hallway.

Smithers was looking much better than he had. The nurse told Alex that Smithers had a slight concussion, and a whole slew of cuts and bruises, and few broken ribs but nothing life threatening. "Joseph, dear, Alex is here."

With a groan, Smithers whispered, "...Would like...speak...with Alex alone."

The nurse nodded, stepping out of the room.

"Smithers. What is the matter?" Alex asked concernedly. Smithers suit had been taken off. He now was a skinny man. Hopefully, that would throw his captors off while trying to pursue him.

"Don't trust MI6... They have Sabina." Smithers said, his voice hoarse.

Alex's eyes widened in shock. "Why would MI6 kidnap Sabina?"

"...want you... work for them. ...was the only way they could think of ...get you... to get back to ... the espionage... business."

Alex was angry. How could they do this even after Jack got killed? How sick could they get?

"Alex.. beware. They will come for me... You need to get out... of here." Smithers warned. "Here... take this. Go to this location. It will help... you." Alex was given a sheet of paper, but something was off. It had no directions.

"Smithers, what is this?"

"A code is what it looks like." A cold, feminine voice said, and Alex smelled a faint scent of peppermint.

~o~o~o~

That Daniel was taking a long time talking to the Smithers guy, Fletcher thought. What could be taking so long? He waited impatiently for what felt like hours to him, but was only ten minutes. Finally, he decided to check up on Daniel.

He found him three minutes later, sprinting down the hall.

"Fletcher! Run! MI6 is here!" The boy called.

~o~o~o~

Without a word, Fletcher took up behind him. Rather use the front doors, Alex took a right, going up the stairs. Thankfully, Fletcher was fit enough to keep up with him. Taking the stairs two at a time, Alex explained his plan to Fletcher. They needed a disguise.

Five minutes later, a nurse and a sick child with two broken arms and gauze all around his face walked down to the lobby. "I'm taking him to his mother. She wants to meet him at a restaurant. Tell John that I'll be back on my shift as soon as possible." The nurse called as he propelled the child in a wheelchair out the front door.

As soon as they were a safe distance away from the hospital, Alex stood up, shaking his arms out from the casts, and unwinding the gauze from his head. "That was way too close."

Fletcher agreed. "Did you get my money?"

"What?" Alex was confused. Why would Fletcher want money?

"My money. For the Heroin."

"Oh." Alex mentally cursed. How could he have forgotten that Fletcher was a drug dealer and a criminal? "How much was it?"

"40 pounds."

"For one gram?" Alex asked incredulously.

Fletcher nodded. Grumbling, Alex fished forty pounds out of his pocket, and slapped the money into Fletcher's hands.

"I assume we'll be parting ways, now." Alex said, still a little miffed about the cost.

Again, Fletcher nodded, "Until your dad sends you for more!" Awkwardly, Alex agreed, he would probably never see the guy again.

After resting for two nights in someone's barn, Alex had memorized Smithers' map. He decided to rip it to shreds and toss the pieces into the river. He still didn't understand it. It had a riddle at the top, pictures in the middle, and nonsense letters at the bottom. The poem read:

_I am the beginning of holes,  
__The center of a cloud,  
__and the end of a mouse  
What am I?_

The picture was of a large, oval pond, with a silver fish in fish had a gold tinged face, and a darker colored back. It's tail was clear, and it was split into two ends. It had a dorsal fin that was tall in the front, then sloped down to the back. It had two small fins on it's stomach, one was rectangular, and located near the tail fin, and the other was smaller and skinny.

The nonsense letters read:qrmnwvcuiezlpdsjkghtgdhjfpiklourzcxqvnbamy

He assumed Smithers had given him the paper for a reason, presumably to help him find Sabina. But he could not understand it. Alex needed help, but who would help him? In despair, he lay down in the hay. He needed to get to Sabina, but it looked like he was stuck.


	6. Don't Forget To Look Up

**A/N So sorry I haven't updated sooner. I think I had writers block or something. Anyway, here it is. Hope you like it! :)**

Alex smiled, jumping across the top of a building. He landed in a roll, coming up just in time to dodge a chimney. The night was warm, with a slight breeze and a full moon casting contrasting colors across the streets of London. Giving it a mysterious feeling, as if anything could be hidden in the dark alleyways, unlit by moonlight.

A slight sound made him tense. He froze, listening intently. Footsteps. He ran quietly across the rooftop, careful not to make a noise.

"I see him!"

The sound made Alex curse. He ran full tilt, disregarding stealth. More footsteps joined in his pursuit. He ran faster: getting caught was not an option.

Alex cursed again. The buildings had boxed him in. They were all higher than the one he was on. With the footsteps coming ever closer, he had only one choice.

He leapt.

He just barely grabbed a window ledge as he fell. The strain on his fingers almost made fall, but he fought through it. As he pulled himself onto the window sill, he made the mistake of looking down.

He raced into the hallway, quickly snatching a small blue flag from where it was taped onto the wall. Alex slowed down, wanting to be as quiet as he could. His soft tread made no sound as he crept down the carpeted stairs.

Suddenly, Alex heard whispered voices, "Do you think they've caught him, yet?" Alex mentally chuckled, of course not. He was too good for them.

"Let's go check on the flag, just in case he got through everybody."

Softly, Alex eased open a door. He slipped quietly into an unlit room, shutting the door behind him. He winced as it made a soft click. He waited until the footsteps of the two guards had faded down the hallway, then quietly slipped out of the room. He had to move fast; they would discover the missing flag any second. He ran as quietly as he could, careful to check around the corners in case they had posted any more guards.

Just as he reached the stairs, he heard raised voices, "He took the flag! He's got the flag!" An alarm started buzzing along with flashing red lights. Wow, Alex thought, they had to have a substantial amount of income to have installed that. The alarm wasn't so loud as to be heard from the neighboring houses, but just loud enough to alert anyone who was inside the building. Abandoning the attempt to be quiet, Alex sprinted down the stairs. When he reached the landing, he sprinted rightt past the startled lookout posted there. Overcoming his surprise, the lookout began chasing Alex.

Glancing back, Alex noticed only the lookout behind him. He smiled. Easy.

He burst through the warehouse's doors. Right into the waiting arms of three burly men. They latched onto his waist, legs, and arms, efficiently subduing them. Or so they thought.

"Thought you were so smart, did ya? Sneaking in through the windows. Didn't know we had sensors there did ya? We have cameras everywhere!" One boasted.

" 'Cept the north side of the street two blocks over. The cameras all got destroyed when..." Another one said depreciatingly.

The third one quickly put his hand over the man's mouth, "Shut up, Eric! You shouldn't have told 'im that! Now he'll know where to go to get off our radar!"

"Both of you, shut it! Marl go... OW!" The first one yelped as Alex toed him in the *spot*, and jumped back, releasing Alex's legs

Alex brought his knees up and his arms down, making sure his knees hit Eric hard, square in the nose. He then used the momentum to plant his foot in Marl's face. He landed on his back, quickly rolling to his feet to face his attackers.

Eric whined, "What do we do, Shen? My nose hurts!"

Shen snorted, disgusted, "Get 'I'm."

Alex sensed someone behind him. He jumped, perfectly timing his flip to land on the lookout's shoulders. The man grunted in surprise, then fell to the ground, out cold. Alex leapt off his shoulders onto Eric, who was still crying about his nose. Marl jumped toward Alex, but he had rolled out of the way and Marl instead landed on Eric, who blindly struck out at Marl before running away.

Now, the odds were more in Alex's favor. Marl, with bruised pride and sternum and Shen, with and enraged ego against Alex, who had a cool head and a strong body.

All the world was still, waiting in anticipation for one of the three men to make a move. Predictably, it was Shen who broke the stillness. With an angry roar, he charged at Alex. He wanted to prove that a scrawny little punk couldn't beat him, the undefeated champion of more than fifty fights!

Alex knew he couldn't take on all that brawn without a bruise and some broken bones, so he decided to evade. dHe waited until Shen was almost on top of him then quickly sidestepped. Shen, however, had anticipated this and flung an arm out, knocking the breath out of Alex.

Marl took the advantage and grabbed Alex's shoulders. Alex, recovering quickly, brought his elbow back quickly into Marl's ribs. When Marl bent over in pain, Alex spun and brought his knee into Marl's face, doubling the pain of Marl's already broken nose. Marl screamed in pain, almost blacking out. He decided to just act like he was knocked out. He could barely breathe and didn't want to face Shen later if he bailed on him now.

While Marl handled Alex, Shen had grabbed a piece of broken pipeline from the dumpster on the left corner of the warehouse. He advanced on Alex, smiling. He had the kid now. The kid wouldn't get anywhere near him without a beating from the pipe. He twirled the pipe in his hands, showing his ease at which he handled the makeshift weapon.

Alex's mind whirled, trying to find a way out of his predicament. He could think of only one option: run. He tucked the flag into his belt, sprinting off into the alleyways.

Shen roared, "Get back here and face me like a man, you coward!" before giving chase. Shen couldn't see him anywhere. He had to admit, the kid was fast to have gotten out of his sight so fast. " You can run but ya can't hide!" He yelled, giving voice to the quote many characters have said in many books and movies. He prowled down the street, careful to look in every nook and cranny. Nothing. He angrily punched the wall. "Where the **** are you, punk?" He muttered before falling face first on the ground, out cold.

Alex swung down from a window sill. He shook his head, "You forgot to look up."


End file.
